A dispute over JACL travel and Justice Clark’s words on the evacuation

Vol. 82, No. 18, May 7, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue

A retired Associate Justice’s regret over the wartime forced removal led this four-page issue. Tom Clark wrote a preface to Frank Chuman’s The Bamboo People, admitting the error and criticizing the Korematsu decision. On the other front-page stories, the West Los Angeles JACL chapter answered a National JACL order to stop its travel program, and the paper ran more letters on the dispute. Wayne Horiuchi reported on the campaign for a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, which Rep. Spark Matsunaga publicly backed.

Elsewhere, Edison T. Uno wrote about Wendy Yoshimura’s legal defense, and Lee Ruttle covered her pretrial hearing. An editorial asked whether the National JACL had enough leadership. Bill Hosokawa wrote about a Denver reception for Rep. Norman Mineta, and Craig Kusaba took on television’s portrayal of Japanese Americans. Readers will also find convention tips for Sacramento, a banquet featuring Ambassador Fumihiko Togo, and a visit planned to the Rohwer cemetery.

What’s in this issue

National

• ‘The Bamboo People’ Preface by Associate Justice Clark Reveals His Recall on Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Retired Associate Justice Tom Clark wrote a preface to Frank Chuman’s historical treatise The Bamboo People, admitting the error of the wartime evacuation. He criticized the Korematsu decision and hoped the mistake would be a lesson for future generations.
• Jerry Enomoto’s Name on Supreme Court Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The US Supreme Court rejected expanded prisoners’ rights at parole hearings, upholding its 1974 ruling that constitutional rights may be curtailed inside prisons. The lead case, Enomoto v. Clutchette, bore the name of JACL’s Jerry Enomoto, then head of the California Department of Corrections.
• Bilingual Education Not Mandatory, by P.C. Staff, page 1. HEW told civil rights officers that bilingual education is not mandatory for non-English speaking students, clarifying a memo on Lau remedies. Officials said schools may use other effective approaches such as special English instruction.
• Asia Society Study Finds U.S. Textbooks Sadly Lacking on Asian Studies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A study by the Asia Society of 262 American textbooks found their coverage of Asia inadequate and often negative. The society plans to work with publishers to revise the flawed books.

Community

• West L.A. Responds to National JACL ‘Cease & Desist’ Order on Travel, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The West Los Angeles JACL chapter rejected a National JACL order to stop its independent travel program, calling the directive a politically motivated attempt to discredit it. The chapter board unanimously decided to continue the program under chapter authority.
• JACL Convention: What to Bring to Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Convention preparers offered advice on what to pack for the 24th Biennial National JACL Convention in Sacramento. Suggestions included recreational gear, casual and formal clothes, and warm-weather wear.
• New Japan Ambassador Togo Slated to Speak May 23 at JAL-JACL Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Ambassador Fumihiko Togo will be keynote speaker at the 1976 JAL-JACL cultural heritage fellowship banquet in San Francisco on May 23. The event will also introduce him to the Nikkei community and recognize eight semi-finalist youths.
• Sansei Doctor to Visit Rohwer Memorial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. H. S. Henjyoji, a Sansei physician in Lake Village, Arkansas, offered to visit and decorate gravesites at Rohwer Memorial Cemetery on Memorial Day. He practices about 20 miles south of Rohwer.
• CHD Workshop Exposes Nikkei Not in Foundation Eye, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Seattle JACL workshop alerted Japanese Americans that they receive little of the roughly $2 billion private foundations distribute yearly. Speakers urged Nisei to volunteer as foundation board members and seek private funding as federal grants shrink.
• JACL Tom Hayashi Law Scholarship Application Deadline Set July 1, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Law school candidates have until July 1 to apply for the $500 JACL-Thomas T. Hayashi Law Scholarship, which is open to JACL members or their children. Fundraising was nearly complete, and additional contributions could fund a second award in 1977.
• West L.A. JACL Travel Program: Continued Response, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The West Los Angeles JACL chapter president continued the dispute with the National Travel Committee, asserting the chapter’s autonomy over its travel program. The letter questioned the committee’s authority and requested that the chapter’s travel ads be accepted by the PC.
• National JACL Travel Committee Notice and Chapter Flight Listings, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National JACL Travel Committee and various chapters announced 1976 summer and fall flights to Japan, with fares around $465 and administrators in several cities. Members were advised to contact local administrators for seat availability and terms.

Incarceration & Redress

• Wendy Yoshimura Case Aired in Pretrial Hearing on FBI Searches, by Lee Ruttle, page 1. Final arguments were heard in Alameda County court on the legality of FBI searches of three San Francisco and Daly City houses in the Wendy Yoshimura case. Judge Pulich indicated a probable illegal search and said he would announce his decision later.
• Matsunaga Backs Iva Toguri’s Bid for Pardon, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii became the first member of Congress to publicly urge a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, convicted in 1949 of treason as ‘Tokyo Rose.’ He argued her conviction was a serious miscarriage of justice that a pardon could help correct.
• Iva Toguri Pardon Campaign Continues, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 3. JACL’s Washington representative describes lobbying efforts to secure a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, detailing contacts with Justice Department officials, congressmen, and White House staff. He explains that the pardon process is slow and that the campaign requires both inside and outside pressure.

Commentary

• Minority of One: Wendy’s Future, by Edison T. Uno, page 2. Columnist Edison Uno urges community support for Wendy Yoshimura, who lacks the money and influence of the Hearst family. He calls for donations to fund her legal defense and a fair trial.
• Editorial: A Ship Without Leadership?, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial argues the National JACL faces a crisis caused by apathy and a lack of dynamic leadership rather than outside forces. It urges members to demand stronger leadership by nominating qualified candidates for national office.
• Letters: Hayakawa, Americanism Award, and Farewell to Manzanar, by Multiple Writers, page 2. Readers debated Senator S. I. Hayakawa’s stance on Executive Order 9066, the American Legion’s Americanism award to Bill Kajikawa, and the TV portrayal of Farewell to Manzanar. Writers disagreed about how faithfully the program captured the wartime injustice.
• From the Frying Pan: ‘Our Man’ in Congress, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Columnist Bill Hosokawa describes a Denver reception for Rep. Norman Mineta, where Nisei and Sansei constituents discussed broad public policy concerns. He notes Mineta’s importance to Japanese Americans as Hawaii’s Nisei representatives face a Senate primary.
• Take Five: We Deserve a Break Today, by Craig Kusaba, page 2. Columnist Craig Kusaba criticizes television for ignoring Japanese American characters in comedy and drama, and for relying on stereotyped roles. He argues Japanese Americans deserve to be portrayed with the same humor and dignity as other groups.
• Shun: Japanese Cookbook Notes, by Matao Uwate, page 2. A promotional notice for Matao Uwate’s book on Japanese seasonal foods, holidays, and regional dishes, aimed at readers planning a Japan trip. The book is offered by mail order.

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